Queen's College London Private School

• Location: London, England,
• Year of foundation: 1848,
• Number of students: about 500,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of education: girls only.

Queen's College London is a private day school for girls from 11 to 18 years old with national and international recognition, making it one of the best secondary education institutions for girls in London.

The college was founded in 1848 by theologian and social reformer Frederick Denison Maurice along with a committee of activists who wanted to create a unique institution for the transfer of knowledge to the younger generation. In 1853, the school became the first educational institution for girls to receive a royal charter from Elizabeth II, and until her last days, the queen was the patron saint of Queen's College London, noting the institution's strong commitment to high-quality women's education.

To date, 500 students study at the school, some of whom are representatives of foreign countries. Education is conducted in two academic stages: middle classes and Sixth Form. A unique aspect of the educational approach at Queen's College London is the curriculum, which is drawn up for classes each year based on student preferences – by collecting opinions, teaching and management teams determine the subjects that are most interesting to international students, increasing their teaching hours. The educational staff have many years of experience working with both local and foreign students, qualified knowledge and a desire to constantly follow modern trends in education - all this makes Queen's College London an excellent place to get a diploma.

The balanced schedule of female students consists of academic classes, a wide variety of extracurricular activities on and off campus. With the comprehensive support of staff and an extensive list of optional extracurriculars, every girl will learn what she enjoys the most.

The college pays great attention to the development of each student. Neurodiversity is seen as a strength, with students achieving academic success in the best conditions for each of them. The student community includes a number of students with certain learning difficulties (dyslexia), a small number of students with autism spectrum disorder: these students constantly achieve outstanding results, enter the best universities thanks to experienced, creative teachers. Teachers work closely with the Director of Neurodiversity and Adaptive Learning, parents, and other professionals to ensure that all students receive the support they need.

Individual learning support covers spelling, writing skills, math, GCSE English, planning and organization, study skills, and emotional regulation. Most subject departments offer additional sessions where students can review material and ask teachers questions.

The Thrive mental health and wellbeing program formally launched in 2020 and is part of the curriculum for Years 7 and 8. Year 7 sessions focus on truth, kindness, and resilience. Year 8 covers life skills, entrepreneurship through Young Enterprise, politics, and campaigning for change. Sixth Form students receive external preparation to help younger pupils. 66% of students in this division have completed that training. Students in Years 7–11 lock their phones in secure Yondr pouches when they enter the school. They keep the devices with them but can unlock the pouches when they leave. Sixth Form students may use their phones only in their own common spaces.

Students have access to Unifrog from Year 7 for careers guidance and advice on further education. In Year 11, they receive free access to the Morrisby Online Test and a one-to-one interview with an advisor. In Year 12, MyUniChoices is provided free of charge, followed by individual interviews. Students also complete work experience or volunteer every Wednesday afternoon. In Year 13, they develop interview and job search skills.

Queen's College London offers two stages of school education: middle classes (7-11) and Sixth Form (12-13), in addition there is a department of preparatory education for girls from 4 to 11 years old.

Four Sixth Form students earned bronze and silver awards in the Chemistry Olympiad. A team that included a Year 9 student placed third in the UK Crew Under-16 category at the UDO British Street Dance Championships in Blackpool.

The Thrive program was shortlisted for the TES Awards four years in a row. The Diana Award presented the school with its Wellbeing Badge in recognition of its work to support student wellbeing. The college also hosted anti-bullying training for representatives from around 100 other schools.

• Queen’s was the first British educational establishment to award academic qualifications to women,
• Director of Sport Emma Croker was a member of the England team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2014,
• Annie was staged at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 2023 to celebrate the school’s 175th anniversary,
• Senior College students are allowed to wear their own clothes,
• During Queen’s Off Screens, the school replaced smartphones with basic Nokia phones for a week and gave every pupil an alarm clock.

Graduates have gone on to study at the following institutions:

United Kingdom:

• Bath — Chemistry, Sport Management & Coaching,
• Cambridge — History of Art,
• Edinburgh — Architecture, History of Art,
• Durham — Economics,
• Exeter — Anthropology, Business & Management, Economics, English Literature,
• Glasgow — Aeronautical Engineering, Philosophy & Psychology,
• Imperial College, London — Mechanical Engineering,
• London School of Economics — Management,
• UCL — Classics, Italian & Philosophy, Medicine, Philosophy & History of Art, Psychology with Education, Sociology & Politics of Science,
• Warwick — Biological Sciences with Placement Year, English Literature.

United States:

• Stanford University — Computer Science,
• NYU,
• University of Notre Dame,
• Carnegie Mellon University, listed among the destinations of students studying music.

Other countries:

• McGill — Canada,
• John Cabot University — Italy,
• Semmelweis University — Hungary,
• Parsons Paris — France.

The school operates in a full-time mode, so housing for students is not provided. Sixth Form boarding is planned to open in partnership with DLD College London. The planned intake is 12 Year 12 students, and the opening is subject to successful recruitment.

The professional team of chefs at Queen's College London provides pupils with a varied, healthy and balanced menu of hot dishes, soups, salads, fruits and drinks every day. Students use the self-service dining room during certain hours of the school day, but can also grab a bite to eat during standard breaks between classes. The school’s catering partner is Thomas Franks. Menus change each term to reflect seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, and a vegetarian option is available every day. Lunch is paid for using a school ID card, and students may bring their own food. Pineapple, sesame, and nuts are prohibited throughout the college, including in food brought from home. Only Sixth Form students may leave the college at lunchtime, and they must sign out and back in.

Future boarders at DLD College London in Waterloo will have a self-contained flat with 12 ensuite single bedrooms, a shared common room, and access to dining and communal facilities. A resident houseparent will live with the students. Plans include recording student movements through Reach, a set curfew, and supervision in communal spaces. The journey to school takes less than 30 minutes, with no changes required. At coeducational DLD, boarders will be able to socialize with boys at mealtimes and during shared activities under supervision.

The planned boarding cost includes a full English breakfast every morning and a three-course evening meal at DLD’s Global Kitchen. On weekdays, lunch will be provided at Queen’s. Boarding meals will accommodate dietary, cultural, and medical needs.

Each new student entering Grade 7 is assigned to one of six faculties: Austen, Dod, Franklin, Parks, Pankhurst or Seacole. The House system allows foreign students to participate in teamwork, improve personal qualities, and learn healthy competition. Throughout the year, members of the Houses earn points at competitions, concerts, scientific seminars and other extracurricular activities. Total level of points affect the prize awarded to the most outstanding activists of the campus.

To date, there are more than 70 thematic interest clubs on campus, which allow students to develop their talent in circles of interest. Clubs reflect the main hobbies of students. List of the different circles of interest includes:

• A group of guitarists,
• Household
• Fine Arts,
• The World Cinema Community,
• Homework Club,
• Classical civilizations,
• LEGO Club,
• Women's Rights Community,
• Horticulture
• Concert group,
• Philosophy
• Cinema Lovers Club,
• Book Community,
• Ecology
• Journalism.

Hobby clubs hold weekly meetings outside of school hours, which gives students the opportunity to constantly communicate with friends, share ideas, and deepen knowledge in an area of interest to them.

Sport is one of the main areas of extracurricular activities. Thanks to cooperation with local sports centers, as well as a multifunctional training center on campus, students can not only maintain physical activity, but also achieve great results in one of the sports offered. Sections are led by professional teachers, some of whom have personal achievements:

• Gymnastics;
• Soccer;
• Volleyball;
• Fitness;
• Netball;
• Handball;
• Yoga;
• Athletics;
• Cricket;
• Tag rugby.

National teams compete in local, regional, and national competitions in a variety of sports, including netball, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, cross-country, and athletics. Last year, the students became champions in the cross country among adults, received 26 medals at the Westminster Athletics Championships, took 5th place in the national netball competition and won the cheerleading competition in the London region.

Creative areas at Queen's College London are represented by four areas: music, dance, drama and art. These disciplines are taught both at the level of academic subjects for GCSE, A-Level, and in the format of electives. International students have the opportunity to develop their abilities in playing musical instruments, participating in theater productions, dance competitions, exhibitions of painting, engraving, photography.

• More than 175 years of history and traditions with a focus on the best conditions for modern education,
• For many years, the school was under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth II,
• Accreditation by the ISI Independent School Inspectorate,
• Curricula created on the basis of students' academic passions,
• Same-sex education, which allows you to achieve success in any of the areas of educational, extracurricular activities,
• A multicultural student community that creates a friendly and mutually supportive atmosphere,
• The educational staff, represented by qualified and experienced specialists,
• A wide variety of extracurricular areas for talent development,
• Spear's named Queen's one of the top 100 independent schools in the world,
• The college is an EduQual-approved center,
• The school’s careers guidance is accredited under the national Quality in Careers Standard through the Education Development Trust,
• The school belongs to the Southwark Schools Learning Partnership and works with 16 other state and independent schools.

The Queen's College London campus occupies four large buildings on Harley Street in central London. The infrastructure of the educational buildings meets all the trends of modern education and includes:

• lecture halls;
• specialized laboratories;
• computer classes;
• creativity studios;
• and a multifunctional sports hall.

Each classroom is equipped with the necessary resources to gain knowledge and practical skills, and has interactive equipment. In computer rooms, students have the opportunity to focus on self-study, immerse themselves in the study of ICT, and use additional electronic resources for scientific work. The school's library offers quiet reading rooms, rooms for seminars and group lectures. Female students have access to a safe courtyard where they can relax, take a walk, chat with friends during breaks between lessons.

In the autumn trimester, pupils get the opportunity to train in the sports facilities of Paddington Recreation Ground and participate in netball matches on modern fields. During Lent, the staff of the educational institution take students to Finsbury Park for training at the athletics stadium, which has a 400-meter synthetic track, a pit for long jumps, and various throwing grounds. Swimming, water gymnastics, water polo classes are held in the pools of the Marshall Street Leisure Centre.

The academic year consists of several trimesters:

• Autumn: September-December,
• Spring: January-April,
• Summer: April-July.

Classes are held on weekdays, rest is provided on weekends, days of national and international holidays, vacations. The daily schedule on weekdays includes lesson hours and free time to attend sections and circles of interest, events.

The list of additional expenses will include:

• Registration fee,
• Introductory deposit,
• Nutrition
• Some extracurricular activities,
• Customized learning materials, textbooks,
• Additional academic opportunities: individual lessons, some electives and others,
• Personal expenses.

Future students will have to go through several entrance stages:

• Filling out a detailed questionnaire, providing the child's personal documents,
• Payment of the registration fee,
• Passing an interview, possible entrance tests in mathematics, English,
• Receiving an official offer of admission,
• Making an entry deposit to book a seat in the class,
• Arrive on campus to start classes.

Places are occasionally available in other year groups as well as at the main entry points.

The Admissions Committee makes a decision on admission based on academic certificates and letters of recommendation from the previous place of study, interview results, and entrance exams.

Graduates of Queen's College London receive competitive knowledge, confirmed by one of the most sought-after diplomas among universities. The higher institutions to which female students enter the college include:

• Boston Conservatory,
• University of Bristol,
• Cardiff University,
• University of London,
• King’s College, London,
• University of Leeds,
• University of Manchester,
• Nottingham University,
• Queen Mary University,
• University of York.

Between 2022 and 2026, Russell Group institutions accounted for 78% of graduates’ UK university destinations, while Golden Triangle universities accounted for 19%. In 2025, 89% of applicants to UK universities secured places at Russell Group institutions. In 2026, the group accounted for more than two-thirds of UK university destinations.

In 2026, four graduates chose to study abroad, while six decided to take a gap year before applying to universities.

Exam results in 2026 were as follows:

• GCSE: 52% of grades were 9–8 and 71% were 9–7,
• A-Level: 19.2% of grades were A*, 49.2% were A*–A and 82.5% were A*–B.

The main years of admission are 11 and 16 years old. International applicants must provide:

• Package of personal documents: passport, health insurance, student visa or residence permit,
• Academic transcripts for the last and current academic years,
• Letters of recommendation from teachers of mathematics, English,
• Individual achievements, if any.

Applicants for Year 7 take the London 11+ Consortium entrance examination.

Most A-Level disciplines require at least a GCSE grade 7 in the chosen subject or a closely related one. Requirements are higher for some courses. A short subject-specific assessment may be required in some cases. Students can meet the grade requirements for Senior College entry in the Year 11 November mock examinations or in the final GCSE examinations.

A number of scholarships offered at the college encourage special achievements of female students in study, sports, creativity and other areas of extracurricular life. The scholarship covers up to 100% of the cost of the one-year program and can be extended if high performance is maintained.

Queen's College London offers a 20% discount on tuition fees for the third and subsequent children from the same family while the eldest child is in school.

• For entry at age 11, Academic, Art, Dance, Drama, Music, Sport and All Rounder scholarships are available, the latter recognizing achievement across several areas. A short video or portfolio is assessed for arts and sports scholarships. Shortlisted candidates are invited for an audition or further assessment,
• For entry at age 16, Academic, Art, Dance, Drama, Sport, Performing Arts and Music scholarships are available. Current students and external candidates may apply. Senior College scholarships may be held for two years of studying leading to A-Level,
• Scholarship recipients participate in a dedicated development program in their award discipline.

Applicants seeking a Sixth Form boarding place are not eligible for means-tested financial assistance, regardless of nationality or country of residence.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision